Devon and Torbay Combined County Authority

The board approved tranche one of the Slapton minor road improvements programme for construction. The initial budget is £1.24m, made up of £1m from the transport capital programme and additional Devon County Council corporate funding, with the wider scheme expected to remain a rolling programme responding to coastal erosion and route resilience needs.

The board approved a new adult skills fund model from September, with £13.1 million due to be received. Of this, £10.5 million is allocated through a formula to colleges and key providers, while £2.6 million is commissioned competitively, including around £800,000 for administration and assurance. Members queried the overhead and were told it covers inherited monitoring and contractual assurance functions.

The board approved arrangements to commission and invest the devolved Adult Skills Fund and related FE capital funding. The discussion highlighted a mixed delivery model: most of the £13m adult skills fund is being allocated as grants to core providers, with a smaller competitive element for targeted provision, while £9.3m of post-16 capital grant will be used to increase 16-19 capacity.

Members approved work to develop shared principles and a route map for expanding the combined authority and progressing to mayoral strategic authority status. The board amended the motion to express a preference for mayoral arrangements by May 2027 through a single legislative process, while recognising that Plymouth’s formal decision was still pending and that government approval would be required.

The £165,000 overspend in support services was attributed to setup costs, highways transfer work, programme management, IT leases and licences, and meeting streaming costs. Officers indicated these one-off and ongoing costs will be right-sized in the new year budget cycle, which may affect future procurement requirements for IT, digital services and programme support.

Members insisted that the post-16 capital and skills funding should not simply reinforce large centralised colleges, but should support rural access, hybrid delivery, and provision closer to young people. The final recommendation was amended to remove the wording 'competitive delivery' and to recognise transport options for access to post-16 education.

The board focused primarily on future devolution arrangements for Devon, Plymouth and Torbay, including the potential expansion of the combined authority and the timing of mayoral arrangements. Members also approved significant skills funding allocations, including adult skills and post-16 capital programmes, both redesigned to use place-based and commissioned approaches with more focus on rural and coastal need. A further item considered whether to develop a local intervention on transport for participation in education, employment and training, but members agreed to wait for imminent government announcements before committing to a £7 million programme. The meeting also noted budget monitoring, audit fee concerns, and the appointment of a new chief finance officer.

The board focused heavily on skills and post-16 education commissioning, including approval of the Adult Skills Fund and post-16 capital investment arrangements, with significant debate about rural access, competition versus commissioning, and transport support for learners. Members also approved a transport resilience scheme for the Slapton minor road network, noted a healthy year-end budget position, endorsed a Greater Devon skills plan, and accepted the LGA governance peer challenge with a follow-up action plan. Governance housekeeping items for 2026/27, including committee membership, allowances review, and a constitution overhaul, were also agreed.